Apparatus for refining petroleum



Sept 2%, 1932. a... H. MILES APPARATUS FOR REFINING PETROLEUM Filed April 11, 1930 2 mm 3 MN m w a .w mg WW E g Aw W EE N a M 13 n w a a aw WW. m W W 3 4 wm mm N If -H: d nwH MW 2 1 ma Q mm". m NM 3 t ww QN N. .3 3 wn mm Patented Sept. 29, 1932 LESTER H. MILES, on Los ANGELns, CALIFORNIA- APPARATUS FOR REFINING PETROLEUM Application filed April 11,

This invention relates to apparatus for refining petroleum. V

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for producing gasoline from crude or partly refined petroleum.

I A specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for use in refining petroleum wherein natural 'as is caused to ass through crude or partly refined petroleum in a plurality of stages.

A further object of the invention is to provide a petroleum refining apparatus wherein petroleum is treated with natural gas taken directly from a well and passed through the petroleum. I

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of a system for practicing my invention,- and Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical. section through one of the vapor tubes.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have indicated generally at one system for refinin crude hydrocarbon oil in accordance with my invention. As

my shown in this system after the oil has been brought to the surface in a well 12 it is conducted through a pipe 13 to a pump 14 which forces it through a pipe 15 into a storage reservoir 16. The natural gas from the well 12 is shown as conducted therefrom through a pipe 17 to a pump 18 and thence through a pipe 19. If desired the gas in the pipe 19 may be heated by running it through a heating element 19*.

For refining the hydrocarbon oil I provide plurality of tanks 20 each of which is divided by a transverse partition 21 into two compartments, a fluid compartment 22 and a fire box compartment 28, and extending from fire box through the partition 21 and the top of the tank I provide a stack 24.- In the fire box 23 I provide a gas burner 25 which is connected to the pipe 17 by a valve controlled pipe 26.

Within the fluid compartment 22 adjacent 1930. Serial No. 443,412.

the partition 21 I provide an annular pipe 27 having a plurality of perforations therein and extending from the compartment 22 1 V The crude hydrocarbon oil in the reservoir 16 is adapted to be drawn therefrom through a pipe 81 to a pump 32 from whence it is forced through a pipe 33 having a check valve 34 interposed therein into the first tank20. 7 In operation the first tank 20 is partly filled with the crude hydrocarbon oil' from the reservoir 16, the gas burner-25 lighted and the valve 30 opened to allow natural gas from the pipe 18 to flow through the pipe 29 into the annular pipe27 thence out through the perforations therein into the oil containedin the tank. The heatapplied to the oil in the tank is such that the oil never boils but is kept at a temperature close to but just I the gas and'oil rendering the oil more volatile 9 and transforming part of the gas to a product'which at normal temperature becomes a liquid. The product being a hydrocarbon of relatively low boiling point passes througha pipe 35, the passageway through whichis controlled'by a valve 36, to a condenser 37, wherein the oil vapors formed are condensed to a hydrocarbon liquid and from whence the liquid passes through a pipe 38 communicating with the annular pipe 27 through the perforations of which it is forced by the gas.

The remaining gas rises through the liquid in the second tank 20 again vaporizing part of the liquid therein and the operation is repeated as described in each succeeding tank 20 until the final product leaves the condenser of the last tank from which it'is conducted by a pipe 40 to a storage reservoir 41. The pipes 35 each include a vertical portion 42 which extends downward in the tanks For injecting natural gas into the pipes 38 7 from the condensers I provide for each stage" a pipe 43 which communicates with the gas pipe 19 and the passage "through which is controlled by a valve 44 and which is provided with an injector 45 positioned in the pipe 38,

For drawing off a quantity of the condensed hydrocarbon liquid from each of the intervening condensers I. provide a pipe line 46 communicating with the pipe 38 and extending to a reservoir .47. Interposed in the pipe line 46 I provide a control valve, 48 and a gas trap 49 which allows only the liquid to pass to the reservoir 47.

For drawing, off a quantity of the-liquid from the various chambers 22 I provide for each a pipe line 50 which communicates with the interior ofthe chamber 22 and a reservoir 51 and the flow through which is controlled by a valve 52. r 7

Thus it will be seen'that various grades of oil may be drawn off at the various stages either from the condensers or from the chamhers22.'

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have, provided a novel apparatus and method for refining hydrocar-' bon oil which is highly effective in use and which can be economically operated. a

What I claim is 7 1 1. In combination with a reservoir, a plurality of containers, meansto conduct hydro including a condenser, means to extract liquid from said condensers without drawing gas therefrom, and means to withdraw liquid from each of said containers. 7

2. In combination with a well containing hydrocarbon oil and natural ga s,-means to convey said gas from said well to a; pipe line, a plurality of tanks arranged in stages, each of said tanks including a liquid chamber and a fire box, a gas burner in said fire box, means connecting said burner and said gas pipe line, a hollow conductor in said chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, a plurality of perforations in said conductor, means to conduct oil from said well to the first of said tanks, means connecting said conductor of said first tank and said gas pipe line, apipe line extending from above the liquid level in each tank to the conductor in each succeeding tank, a condenser interposed in said pipe line, injector means to discharge gas from said gas pipe line into said condenser pipe line, and means {)0 withdraw liquid from each of said chamers v 3. In combination with a well containing hydrocarbon oil and natural gas, a reservoir, means to convey oil from the well to the reservoir, means to'convey gas from the well to a pipe line, said last means including a pressure booster, a plurality of tanks arranged in stages, each of said tanks including a liquid chamber and a fire-box, a gas burner in said fire box, means connecting said burner and said gas pipe line, a hollow conductor in said chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, a plurality of perforations in said conductor, means to conduct oil from said reservoir to the first of said tanks, means connecting said conductor of said first tank and said gas pipe line, a pipe line extending from above the liquid level in each tank to the conductor in each succeedingtank, a condenser interposed in said pipe line, meansto inject gas from said gas pipe line into said condenser pipe line, means to withdraw liquid from said condenser pipe line independent of the gas contained therein, and means to withdraw liquid from eachof said chambers.

signature.

LESTER H. MILES. 

